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Renewable energy provides 9% of UK electricity

Renewable energy sources generated 9% of the UK's electricity in the third quarter of 2011, according to figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

By Kari Williamson

The amount of electricity generated by wind power has been welcomed by RenewableUK as proof of the increasingly significant contribution wind energy makes to UK households.

The amount of electricity generated from offshore wind has increased “substantially” compared to the same quarter in 2010, partly because of increased capacity, and partly because it was the windiest September for at least 10 years.

For the 9 month period to September 2011, the statistics show a 64% increase in the amount of electricity generated by offshore wind on the same three quarters for last year (up from 4865 GWh to 6618 GWh), and a 36% increase for onshore wind (up from 1943 GWh to 3189 GWh).

Dr Gordon Edge, RenewableUK’s Director of Policy, says: “This is another strong set of statistics from DECC, proving that despite the anti-wind propaganda being spouted by lobbyists with their own particular agendas, wind turbines are continuing to generate increasingly large amounts of electricity for the UK’s households.

“We will continue to offer a secure supply of clean energy which will reduce our dependence on ultra-expensive fossil fuels such as gas. Let’s not forget that it’s the cost of importing gas which has sent domestic fuel bills through the roof, so we have to get off the fossil fuel hook. Renewable sources such as wind offer us excellent value for money overall. We believe that hard-pressed households deserve the best deal when it comes to cutting their energy bills in the long term.”

DECC also highlighted the growth in the UK’s installed capacity to generate electricity from renewable sources of 400 MW in the third quarter of the year – a 12% increase on Q3 a year earlier. Nearly two-thirds of that increase (240 MW) came from onshore and offshore wind, with the first turbines of the Ormonde and Greater Gabbard offshore wind farms beginning operation.

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